But They Sure Are Worth It
Children do well when they have a designated spot for doing homework. The area should convey that completing assignments is important. It has everything they have nearby. It is comfortable and quiet. If your child struggles with silence, music from a radio or MP3 player is helpful. I don’t recommend television as it can become a distraction.
There are going to be moments where you are somewhere, and the toddler is in a particularly horrible mood. You will think “I just want to hand them my phone so they will be quiet” and you know it will work. Then you are inundated with those “I am a bad parent” feelings and you don’t know what to do. While we all know that too much screen time can be bad for kids, we also know that sometimes it’s about your sanity. Fortunately, there are ways to combat those feelings by ensuring you provide an educational app so that Cranky Toddler is learning rather than being sucked into some mindlessness. Here are some top picks on free kids apps (without hidden in-app purchases) that are good for your kids.
In a previous post here, I wrote about how my 15-year-old son attends an online school through K12. My boyfriend’s daughter still attends a traditional public school for several reasons.
My son is 15, getting ready to finish his freshman year of high school. Up until the second semester of this school year, he has attended a conventional brick-and-mortar school. Now, he attends a virtual charter school through K12.
Readers, we’ve created an information-packed ebook on how to teach your children about money. It’s a guidebook for parents of kids at all ages.
Please click on the link below to download the ebook. After you’ve read it, please let us know what you think of it in the comments section beneath this post.
Jackie Cohen is an award winning financial journalist turned turned financial advisor obsessed with climate change risk, data and business. Jackie holds a B.A. Degree from Macalester College and an M.A. in English from Claremont Graduate University.
When I was pregnant with my first child, every day held excitement about the future. But I couldn’t quite shake the weight I felt on my shoulders when I thought about returning to work six weeks after her birth. I wanted so desperately to stay home, but simply couldn’t imagine how to afford being a stay-at-home mom.
It just doesn’t come up much in school, does it? “Living On Half Your Income 101.” Yeah, not so much. Today’s culture often says things like “Put it on credit” or “You deserve more” or good ‘ole “YOLO.” But some dreams involve spending and earning a whole lot less.
And they sure are worth it.
See, my husband and I really needed a roadmap, some kind of guidelines to help us navigate these tumultuous waters.
If that’s you, then let me encourage you. Our “get-your-financial-act-together” journey started in 2011. In 2012, my husband and I paid off $22,000 to become debt-free right before our daughter’s birth. We stockpiled as much as we could into our emergency savings and learned to continually live within our means (MUCH harder than it sounds!).
This led to one of the happiest days of my life. It was in May of 2014. I was 30 weeks pregnant with our second child and kept having labor symptoms when I’d work on my feet all day at my job. Rather than risk a premature delivery, that became the catalyst for our leap of faith.
That was the day I quit my job and officially became a stay-at-home mom. I waddled to my car with astonishment stamped on my face. It really was happening.
You need to understand the primary reason for this astonishment. We would now be living on less than $2,000 a month. It seems impossible that we could have done this (especially if you knew how bad we were at budgeting when we were single!). The thing is, we hustled our hineys off and no longer had debt. We’d been budgeting like paupers and renting from family instead of rushing into a home we couldn’t afford.
Even on such a small income, we really were ready. Hence my amazement.
Your dream may not be to stay home. That’s totally fine! If you love working outside the home, then embrace that and enjoy your work. Nor are you required to generate an income if you do decide to stay home full-time. Let’s just get that out there.
So many of the steps we took as a couple had very little to do with me making extra money from home. They set an important foundation that centered around three major components:
Let’s pull back the curtain a little further and explore what I mean.
Here are some practical first steps you can take in your journey toward spending more time with your kids!
When my husband and I committed to paying off our outstanding debt in two years instead of seven, we forced ourselves to:
For example, the biggest way my husband and I melted debt was to intentionally begin living on his income. It took months, but eventually, we were able to apply every dime from my paycheck toward debt.
After that, our small income became that much more powerful. Imagine what you could do with your money if you didn’t have any payments. That one thought spurred us on.
Recommended Article: “10 Steps to Create a Successful Stay-at-Home Mom Budget”
Saving for emergencies is the most powerful way you can create financial stability in your home. Smaller emergencies like an oil leak can be covered in the “auto repair” portion of your budget. But what if your income-generating spouse loses his job? That buffer is the difference between you remaining a stay-at-home mom through that transition or scrambling for work alongside your partner.
A great place to start with a savings buffer is $1,000. More can be accumulated once you’re out of debt, but that first $1k is your Kevlar vest against calamity.
We covered the basics. Whether you’re a mother or would like to be one someday, you can begin this journey today. It’s time to choose your next step and ACT.
A great place to start is a conversation with your significant other. This plan requires openness and commitment from both of you. It’s also going to take time. Best to start the conversation now.
For example, when I messed up the budget, I knew I could approach my husband about it instead of burying my head in the sand like I’d done in the past. We worked through many problems that way. Extend grace. Talk about your dreams. Re-commit.
Another great next step is to further your education. Try joining a Facebook group that centers around whipping your family finances into shape. The added support is tremendous. Here are two great groups you can join:
If you’ve read this far, it means you’re dead serious about your dream of becoming a stay-at-home mom. That’s awesome.
I believe you can do it, but this is just the framework. It’s not going to keep the rain or wind out of your house. To add siding, insulation, a roof, and even some shiplap if that’s your fancy, then I strongly encourage you to check out my eBook called “The Stay-at-Home Mom Blueprint.” In it, I expand my story on climbing out of debt and achieving my dream of staying home. I also walk you through 150 practical strategies that my husband and I used (and still use today) to communicate better, chop debt, and save money.
This is the roadmap I wish I’d had when we first dreamed of transitioning into a single-income family.
Also, if you do want to earn money from home, “The Stay-at-Home Mom Blueprint” includes dozens of ideas to sell your stuff, earn gift cards or cash from home, or build an online business. My business didn’t happen until nearly two years after I became a SAHM. Since then, I’ve made nearly $20,000 just working part-time as a freelance writer. I know without a doubt that this business wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t safely transitioned into a stay-at-home mom first.
Ready to take your journey toward staying home to the next level?
Grab your copy of “The Stay-at-Home Mom Blueprint” today.
This post may contain affiliate links.
Image Credit: AI Photography
Hungry for more financial tips for stay-at-home moms? Look no further!
As you set your goals each year, it’s fun to include your children in the process. Involvement helps them learn to set goals of their own. In the interest of helping them develop strong savings habits, why not have them participate in a 52-week money challenge for kids?
Similar to the well-known 52-week money challenge for adults, the kids’ challenge helps kids to save more money by determining a set amount of cash to put into a savings account, and then increasing that amount each and every week.
Based on your child’s age and his or her ability to access money, you can pick the weekly money amount that works best for their particular situation.
Even with the smallest weekly contribution, the savings will add up. If your child is younger, you can start with a small amount – for example, a nickel – each week. Here’s how the challenge works:
And so on. If you choose to use a nickel for the challenge, your child simply increases each weekly savings contribution by one nickel. By the end of the 52 weeks, your child will have saved $68.90.
Here is a breakdown of other coin values and potential savings amounts:
We’re living in a time where it’s easy to not save money. Clever marketing and social pressures encourage kids to spend rather than save. Therefore, they start to believe they can have the latest and greatest of everything on the market – without the hard work of earning it.
Saving money is becoming less and less important to people as generations go by. America’s declining savings rate proves it. In May of 1975, the personal savings rate in the United States reached a high of 17%. At the end of 2016, it was 5.4%.
By teaching our children to develop a habit of saving money, we give them a head start on the road to financial responsibility.
Besides using a 52-week money challenge for kids, there are other ways you can teach your children to make saving money a consistent habit.
The 52-week money challenge for kids is a great way to encourage children not just to save money, but to challenge themselves to save more than they initially thought was possible. So, give your kids the gift of making savings a habit starting today.
Bonus Reading: “6 Fun Money Games for Kids”
Image Credit: Nathaniel_U (Creative Commons)
Are you a stay-at-home mom? Make sure you bookmark or pin some of these resources for later!
We all know reading to a child is paramount to his or her development. In my experience as a mother of two, I’m always on the hunt for fun, new ways to teach my kids. One of our favorite ways is listening to audiobooks. Therefore, I put together my top 10 list of the best kids books on Audible.
There are several benefits from audiobooks that I would like to share with you.
Kids learn to sit still. A byproduct of your children sitting in one place and paying attention to the narration of a book is that they’ll develop a stronger habit of sitting still. Even my two-year-old has shown improvement in his ability to sit quietly when the need arises. This comes in handy when you’re in a public place such as a waiting room or classroom.
Also, audiobooks expand a child’s vocabulary. Children are often introduced to new words in context and with their pronunciation. Often these books promote education, behavior, language, mathematics, etc. It also gives your child a fresh form of media besides a screen.
While reading to your child at bedtime is a vital bonding experience, audio books for kids create another dimension of imagination and education without the addictive side effects of screen time.
Let’s take a look at some great audio books my kids enjoyed over the last few years.
Despite its small size, the little engine used the power of positive thinking to conquer a mountain. This lesson is great for every generation of kids and can be enjoyed on audio with the rich tones of Mike Ferreri narrating.
This beloved classic exposes your children to the adventures of Peter Rabbit and his woodland friends. On Audible.com, you can now enjoy the entire Peter Rabbit collection for a very low price.
What was your favorite Dr. Seuss book as a child? Well, now it might be available on Audible for your whole family to listen. These best-sellers have stood the test of time for six decades.
Not to mention, this collection of audible stories is narrated by:
This classic story is so enjoyable to listen to, due to the dynamic narration performed by award-winning actress, Anne Hathaway. She brings an “all-in” devotion to each character that will capture your kids’ attention (and yours, too!).
Why am I putting one of the most popular children’s books on this list? Two words: Jim Dale. Never have you heard an audiobook until you’ve been read to by award-winning voice talent, Jim Dale. Even as an adult, I get a kick out of J.K. Rowling’s great storytelling and Dale’s diverse collection of voices for the memorable characters in Harry’s world.
If you believe your child is old enough for the thematic elements of this book, then give the audiobook a shot.
Do you have a ball player in your family? I don’t know of anyone who wrote better sports books for middle readers than Matt Christopher. I’d finish a story, and feel a strong impulse to grab a ball and glove and speed off to the park.
One of Christopher’s most popular stories, “The Kid Who Only Hit Homers,” is available on audio with a full cast of narrators.
This dramatized audiobook is the narrated telling of Tolkien’s bedtime story about the adventures of Bilbo Baggins. Follow his journey with a whole slew of dwarves as they head toward the Misty Mountain in search of their long-lost treasure – guarded, of course, by a fire-breathing dragon.
This is the true story of the African-American women who helped the United States win the space race. Shetterly’s book became a movie in 2016 and sends an important message to young people that their minds are precious, no matter their color or gender.
Reading is a delight that can last a lifetime. Help your child understand the many layers of literature and the skills he or she will need to get lost in a story and enjoy the endless worlds waiting on the pages.
Bonus Reading: “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Wants to Give Your Child a Free Book Every Month”
If you’re a stay-at-home mom, make sure you bookmark or pin some of these great resources for later!
One of the biggest – and most important – hurdles parents face is that of teaching their kids to save money. In today’s instant gratification world, kids are often led to believe that spending is more beneficial than saving. It’s our job as parents and caregivers to teach them the benefits of saving over spending. By utilizing these money challenges for kids you can help your child learn the importance of saving money.
The 365-Day Money Challenge has flexibility in both the amount of money you can use and when you earn it. The first step is to print out a chart that has 365 days of money amounts on it, starting with $.01 up to $3.65. Then, post the chart somewhere where your child will see it every day. Each morning when your child gets up, they pay their piggy bank or money jar an amount from the chart. When they pick a money amount to save, they then cross that amount off on the chart. Each money amount can only be used once throughout the year. By the end of the year, they’ll have saved $667.95!
Wants some ideas for how to help your child earn money? Check out these chores here.
This money challenge will involve parents and/or grandparents as well. The first step is to have your child decorate a jar with a lid, such as a large canning jar. They can also use their own piggy bank. Each week your child will put in their bank the money they’ve earned through different sources. Money earned for chores or allowance, or money received from gifts are some ideas for finding money to save.
After the jar is filled up, parent and child bring the jar to the bank to deposit the money. When the money is counted, parents or grandparents match the amount the child has saved. The final deposit into your child’s savings account will be double what they have saved!
Similar to the 365-day challenge, this challenge requires kids to save money on a regular basis. First, they print out this chart. Each week has a money amount – payable in quarters – listed on the chart. Your child chooses which amount he or she wants to save each week, crossing that amount off as they go. By the end of the year, your child will have saved $344.50.
This challenge can be implemented in a number of different ways. The goal is to help kids improve their lives in some way or teach them that work produces income. The first step in this challenge is to determine a dollar amount payout. Parents can work with children to help decide how much they want to earn in a given time period. The challenge can be modified to work for every family’s budget and specific goals.
For instance, some kids may have a goal of earning $10 in a week. Others might want to earn more over a longer time period. It also helps to determine with your child why he or she wants to save. Having a reason for saving helps motivate kids to save more.
After you’ve determined how much to save and in what time period, parents create jobs or tasks with coordinating payouts. The “jobs” can consist of several different options, such as:
The challenge can be customized to fit whatever goals your family or your child may have. As a bonus, your child will earn a reward them for achieving those goals.
Teaching kids to manage money well is just one of the things we can do to prepare them for independence. By helping our children develop a habit of saving money, we can prepare them to be financially responsible adults.
Are you a stay-at-home mom? Check out these hot tips and pin one for later!
Did you enjoy watching Reading Rainbow as a kid? Turns out, the popular educational show was much more than children’s entertainment; it was a movement. For 20+ years, the show did its best to inspire children of all ages and walks of life to pick up a book and read. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library picked up the same torch to inspire young readers all across the world.
We’ve all heard the saying that “leaders are readers,” but the importance of literacy goes much deeper than that. According to a study by the US Department of Education, 32 million adults in America can’t read. Another study shows that two out of every three students who don’t proficiently by 4th grade could end up on government assistance or in jail.
Statistics like that drove people like Levar Burton and Dolly Parton to make a change. With Reading Rainbow, kids learned from books read and discussed on TV. In Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, new books show up right on your doorstep.
In 1995, Dolly Parton cast a vision to grow children’s love for reading in her home state of Tennessee. Regardless of their family’s income, Parton sees to it that every child receives a quality, age-appropriate book to read every month.
Over 20 years later, more than 80 million books reached young readers in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Author’s Note: I recently went through the sign-up process and discovered that my region is not currently eligible. Upon further research, I discovered that organizations partner with Parton’s foundation to fund the expense for books in their specific regions. Therefore, be aware that not all locations qualify.
In an age when children are parked in front of screens for up to 11 hours a day, a resource like this may tip the scale on that balance. Imagine a new book showing up in the mail for you to read each month.
Recommended Reading: 7 Screen-Free Activities for Preschoolers
If this is an initiative you’d like to support or you’d like to sign your child up today, check out Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for instructions on how to donate.
If your region isn’t eligible, don’t give up. Here are some more money-saving options for your young reader:
For more on reading for your kids, or reading to your kids, check out these great articles.
The Importance of Reading to Your Child
A Fun and Economical Way to Get Kids Interested in Reading: Comic Books
Here are 8 of the Best Kids Books On Audible
5 Best Comic Book Storage Boxes and Bins
6 Best Comic Book Display Shelves